Ok, I'm using the TrxEB, which has dedicated pins to measure power consumption on the MCU, I/O and radio seperately. Yeah i'm using a series coupled resistor and measuring with an oscilloscope. In my mind, lowering the TX output power from let's say 15dBm to 0dBm would show a reduction in measured voltage profile (or area under voltage curve) since less power is consumed. Although, I might be wrong in this assumption, I'm no expert.
When you say "You have to turn off the radio (put the chip in idle) to change the output power", are you saying this can't be done via SmartRF Studio like the way I explained?